My $0.02 is: anything that gets them on the bike. Has the Tour de Lance raised awareness of cycling in the US? Do more people ride? Does that benefit me? Yes.

The industry is trying to sell bikes, that's what industry does. I really don't care how they do that, they can put tit* (ot other parts) on the front of bikes for all I care, just get 'em on a bike.

Does it make sense for Joe/Joan Q Public to commute on a Maddona? Probably not. But it's up to us, the community to keep them on the bike.

That starts at the shop asking "what kind of riding do you want to do?"

But sometimes we have to educate the public on rides, at work (a coworker just came to my desk to ask about getting his first bike).

The American public anyway wants the illusion of speed and power, they want the SUV even though we never go off road, they want what Lance rides for a 2 mile commute, they want FS even though they never go off road.

I say just get them on a bike, any bike. We here in bike clubs, TE...just catching them "look the Madona, that's for our training, touring, the charity ride, let's get you this...and a helmet....and the helmet goes this way"

What's with all the riders with helmets on backwards?